Meet Starson: Business Administration Student from Haiti

“College life can be fun, stressful, overwhelming and also interesting.”

Starson Audate did not know anything about the professors at HACC when he decided to enroll, but he said he knew that the school is considered one of the best community colleges in Pennsylvania. He wrote in his Story Bank submission, “I get more than just what I thought I was going to pay.”

It was important for Starson to come to a college that was affordable, where the professors care about their students and students can learn in a safe environment. HACC opened doors for him as an international student, where he enjoyed taking classes with students from many different countries and walks of life. He learned with nontraditional students that “it is never too late to learn and to start a new career.”

Starson wrote, “Business is one of the few activities that join the world together.” That mentality, combined with the seven years he spent working in his father’s business, made Starson well-suited to HACC’s popular Business Administration Program.

Although Starson had many positive experiences at HACC, going to college was not without its challenging or long days. He reflected on what energized him to keep going: “My goals are what make me want to wake up at 5 a.m. to get ready to take the bus to the transfer center, then to HACC when everything seems stressful.”